A Couple of Things I've Learned Already

I met a new friend on Facebook named Nicole who has been on this protocol for 2 years and swears by it. She even does the hypoglycemia diet but doesn't have hg- she said the diet by itself can relieve symptoms a lot for people with fibro. I do have hypoglycemia but was considering doing the Zone instead of the full-on hypoglycemia diet, because it works similiarly as far as balancing blood sugar, but now I need to take a look at both and do some real comparisons. My family is doing "The Biggest Loser" starting on the 3rd, so I'll decide by then which way I am going to go, since I have more than one goal in mind.

I messed up already by using olive oil as lotion- duh, plant derivitive. I knew that, but got confused. The mint is what makes me the most sad. I love mint flavored things. But, I figure once I'm feeling well, one box of Jr. Mints every 6 months will be good enough, sigh. I was afraid that if I couldn't have mint, that I couldn't have anything with extract in it, but Nicole said that those were okay. There aren't supposed to be any food restrictions otherwise. It's all topical and "supplement" type restrictions. I had to get all new make-up, too, but that wasn't a big deal, besides the cost! The make-up at fibropharmacy.com is very decently priced, but buying all new make-up at the same time is expensive.

Getting Started

I think getting ready to start is harder than starting because I had to learn what products I cannot use anymore because they will block the guai from working. Understanding labels is hard enough, but with a foggy brain, it is nearly impossible. I went on fibropharmacy.com and ordered shampoo and a few other things I couldn't find in the store (avoiding plant oils and extracts is nearly impossible in some types of products). This made it easier than having to think. But, the site is also a good resource for finding out which products at the regular store are okay, so next time I can buy Ivory or Irish Spring soap (That last one surprised me, too).

The first week I took the beginning dose recommended in the book but didn't feel any different, so I upped the dosage and for the last two days I have been super achy, especially in my hands, which for whatever reason is where I always hurt the worst. I have also felt more fatigued and have been sleeping all morning. The right dose is supposed to be the one that makes the symptoms worsen significantly, so bingo! This is why I decided to start during the break; I didn't know what to expect, so I didn't want to wait to start the protocol during the semester. I hopefully only have one left, and fall was so bad for me, it's a miracle I made it. Spring brings significantly more responsibilities as I have an extra class and my MA exams, so I am really worried about having a clear head and a cooperating body.

My Background

Looking back on it, I started having symptoms of fibromyalgia since about 12-years-old. I have visited dozens and dozens of doctors since that age for symptoms including fatigue, numbness, hypoglycemia, depression, chest pain, "arthritis" in my hands, "fasciitis" in my feet, frequent urination, crippling menstrual cramps, and "a poor immune system" because I caught everything I was ever exposed to.

I don't want to go into the fibro itself too much, but my primary doctor finally figured out this August that that was the problem. It took 2 months of straight muscle aches despite perfect blood tests for him to realize what I had.

I went to the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center in Fort Worth and got a bunch of blood tests that aren't typically done. So, now I'm on some thyroid medicine and a couple of other things I can't remember right now... oh, yeah, memory issues is another symptom... something that helps me get restorative sleep, some wonderful pain killers, and vitamin B.

Separately, I did a great deal of reading on my own and read What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Fibromyalgia and learned about the guaifenisen protocol. I decided to try this as well as continuing the other treatments because if it works, I should eventually feel normal- not cured, but well more than unwell, which is not what I am experiencing now. I decided to record my experience because 1. it's easier to see if there is really progress if I have a record, and 2. there are a couple of my friends with fibro and a 12 year old daughter who is now exhibiting symptoms who are using me as a guinea pig to see how it works for me before they try it, so they can watch my progress on here, too. The guai protocol states that for every year that one has fibro, it takes 3-4 months to clear out one year of built up phosphates, so it will take me a long time to fully "clear out" but I'm okay with that. Here's hoping for the future.